I started to google around and search eBay for something cheap and nice to suit my wallet. The brand was of course already set because of the Nikon D3000 and my first impression was that a D40 would be the thing to get because of the 6 Mpix sensor with big pixels, but much to my surprise I found that D40:s are still quite expensive (seems to be kind of "cult" camera nowadays...) though it is not in Nikons program of products anymore. That added to the fact that the autofocusing and measuring system in D40 is rather simple my attention was turned towards the D50 and D70 series of cameras, sporting the same 6 Mpix sensor but a better and more versatile metering system and as a big advantage, the possibility to use the older fullformat Nikon AF-lenses without motor. You can only use AF-S lenses with own built-in motors with the D40, D60, D3000 and D5000.
Taking into the comparition that the D50 is just a "crippled" and cheaper version of D70 that was concocted to fill in at the consumer starter level some years ago before the D40, my opinion was clear, a D70 or D70s it has to be! As my son, Markus, owns a D70s since some years ago, and have praised the functionality of that camera, I stared to search the web.
I soon found a good looking D70 body (with the D70s software), fired just in excess of 9000 times, just in the middle of my expected price range so I threw a bid on that and much to my surprise I won the auction.
The camera arrived last Monday and it really was in nearly mint condition. No signs of use other than the info in the EXIF-file that the shutter had been fired less than 10000 times.
It works like a charm though it is of course bigger and heavier than the D3000 but it fits like a glove in my hands.
The only drawback is a rather small screen but you get used to it...:) That is a small price to pay when it was about half the price of the D3000!
And yes, Ingela had to be compensated with another toy that is most permanently sitting on the D3000 now, the new 35 mm f:1.8 AF-S DX from Nikon.:) If you buy this lens you will most probably use it all the time.
You can then really forget about using your flash indoors.
Last Friday night we spent the evening in the sofa with some Glühwein, lit some candles and I took some pictures with my new toy:
Yeah, it is a little noisy but it is shot in candlelight at ISO 1600 without tripod :)
Looks warm and cosy, doesn´t it? But the morning after we woke up in a landscape like this:
Seems that the winter hit us once again but today, Sunday, it is nearly gone again.
8 comments:
These pictures from your new Nikon are really clear and precise. All 3 of them are warm and inviting (even the cozy winter blanket). How wonderful that you found it in the price range you were searching for! Can't wait for more photos!
Hans, congratulations on the new camera! I am happy that you were not disappointed.
The photos are beautiful! I love experimenting, even with my little Canon camera.
I also love waking up to a soft, winter wonderland!
We have snow, but not down here - it's about 500 ft higher on the mountain slopes.
Hans, I really enjoyed your description of your search for the right camera. Koos has two D40's (so he doesn't have to change from wide angel to telelenses) and he absolutely loves them. The bodies are quite cheap here in NL, hence the luxury of having two.
The reason he opted for D40's is because his photography guru Ken Rockwell still maintains that for the money, this is the best Nikon. If you don't know him, Ken Rockwell is also an entertaining but very informative read. This is the link to his Nikon reviews: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/index.htm
Still the photos you have taken show you know what you're doing alright! Lovely pics, and the winter scene is stunning too!
Grace,
Thank you for your nice comments. Indeed, the winter picture is kind of warm. Maybe it has to do with the settings of the White Balance... :)
Dale,
Thank you, this used D70 was a bargain, the best I ever had!
You just wait, you may wake up with snow up to your windows anytime soon!
Val,
In fact, the search was not so tedious as it seems... :) I really had made up my mind quite a long time ago, mostly influenced by my son Markus and his experience with the D70. But as the D40 is a really small and handy DSLR, same size as the D3000 I looked for the D40 as well but much to my surprise they seem to be at the same level as used D70:s still! So the benefits of D70 compared to D40 made the decision easy.
I have read a lot of Ken Rockwell and it seems you missed the fact that my header to this blog is linked to his site and his D70 homepage :)
And I've been reading a lot of other resources like Norman Koren and the dpReview as well.
There are tons of information about Digital Photography and related equipment on the web.
LOL Hans, you're right! I never noticed your header was a link. Now I feel ashamed for pompously pointing out something you already knew so well:-P
Anyhow, good to hear you also like reading KR! I don't have a Nikon, but I enjoy reading what he has to say about all the cameras he reviews. He has quite a sharp wit and a scathing tongue at times, but it's always good reading ;-)
Hope you're still happy with your new acquisition!
Hi Val,
Yes, Ken Rockwell is a lot of fun but you have to read a lot between the lines and with tongue in cheek... :)
And it all boils down to what is between the eypiece of the viewfinder and the back of the person holding the camera, not so much the fancy lenses with a lot of lines/mm nor the lots of Megapixels.
You find a lot of astonishing pictures on the web, like the ones you take, taken with simple mobilephones or pocket cameras!
That's why I didn't go and search for any fancy stuff.
If you are a beginner in DSLR:s, just start with a simple, affordable used good camera in good working order and start shooting!
But Ingela for sure earned to have that new D3000, she is now shooting outstanding pics in available light and the available light is not much here at this time of the year! :)
I have to work on my lighting and settings on the Nikon D200. So many settings.
Hope all is well in your world today. :)
Hi Grace,
Yes there are for sure tons of settings that can be tweaked and that is for sure confusing.
As so many others we started out using "Auto" i.e. auto evereything.
That will give you good shots in 2/3 of the situations.
Further on we learned how to tweak the color-balance and ISO-settings and started to use the "P" as in program or "A" as in aperture instead and learned how to avoid using the flash etc.
That mr. Ken Rockwell discussed above maintains an excellent website where he also keeps a rather understandable Users Guide to the Nikon D200:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d200/users-guide/index.htm
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